Sports performance is more than an athlete’s speed or skillset. With young female athletes, it’s especially important to evaluate them holistically, including physical differences, hormones and social inclusivity among teammates. That approach should also always include a mental health component, which can greatly impact not only performance but how much they enjoy playing.

Mimi Babcook, PT, DPT, SCS, OCS, a sports physical therapist with a Masters in Sport and Performance Psychology, is an expert in not only evaluating the physical side of youth athletics but also combining it with the mental side to create optimal performance. She looks at the two sides like parallel lanes on a road, working simultaneously within an athlete. And when one side — usually the mental side — isn’t cared for, kids have the potential to hit a roadblock. 

“If we do all of our patch and road work on the physical side and we don’t perform the patch work on the mental side, there’s going to come a time where you can’t get any further,” she says. “We know from research that the longer girls stay in sports, they are more resilient, have better life skills and relationships, and the whole person benefits. The longer we can keep girls out there, the better.”

So how do parents and coaches assist in that roadwork to ensure girls' mental health is taken care of? Babcook has a roadmap.

Pressure, expectations and athletic identity in girls

In today’s world, pressure to be the best on the team and sports specialization is at an all-time high. There’s several types of pressures Babcook sees in young athletes:

• Internal pressure: stress an athlete puts on themselves, such as a soccer player believing they aren’t the best because their run time is slower than some teammates
• External pressure: stress an athlete perceives from a parent, coach or other individual, for example, a dancer believing they need to look a certain way because of comments they’ve heard about their body
• Real pressure: stress an athlete feels that has external consequences tied to performance like a softball player being told by a coach that playing time depends solely on winning or stats
• Perceived pressure: stress felt by an athlete that links their personal value to their athletic performance, for example, a swimmer believing that winning is the only way to avoid disappointing their parents

While there are many pressures in sports, female athletes often experience pressure related to their body image from coaches, parents, peers and even themselves more than their male counterparts.

“Once someone says something about their body, that seed is planted. We must be very cautious in the words we choose because while it might roll off the back of some athletes, others can hold onto that creating potential for disordered eating habits or beliefs to develop,” Babcook says.

It’s important to support athletes on their health journey and make sure their body expectations are talked about in a positive way. By creating a safe space for conversations around strength, nutrition and ability, girls are encouraged to recognize all the incredible things their bodies can do and reduce negative self-talk. And looking to athletes in the public eye, such as U.S. Olympic rugby player Ilona Maher, shows girls that being strong is beautiful — regardless of what society believes to be the “norm.”

Alongside body image demands, Babcook also sees parental or external expectations as a challenge for all athletes. It’s important to have expectations for your child, including being a good teammate, having a willingness to learn and giving their best effort. Negative or unrealistic expectations can affect confidence and growth.

“I hear a lot of parents talking about college scholarships with their 9 and 10-year-olds,” she says. “But less than 2% of high school athletes will play in college, and less than 1% will earn a full ride. If that is what is defined as my kid's success, or if that kid takes that on as their identity and it’s not looking like that's going to be the path, it can be detrimental to athletic and personal development.”

Tips for parents and coaches

Parents and coaches set the tone for their players. But how can you create a safe environment that rewards success without impossible expectations? Here’s a few tips:

• Use supportive language by replacing “Did you win?” with “What felt good today?”
• Define success as effort, learning and enjoyment.
• Support balance, rest and emotional well-being.
• Avoid comparisons to teammates, siblings or past performances.
• Avoid the post-game interrogation and let kids lead the conversation. Keep love and approval unconditional, regardless of how a game or practice went.
• Advocate for your child when something feels unsafe or unhealthy.
• Set clear and age-appropriate expectations.
• Emphasize progress, teamwork and skill development.
• Treat mistakes as a part of learning, not something to punish.
• Model calm and respectful behavior on and off the field.

Understanding stress and burnout in female athletes

All athletes can burn out or hit a stage of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion due to prolonged training without proper recovery. A few signs of burnout include changes in sleep, social withdrawal, anxiety or depression, repeated injuries, delayed healing times, grade changes or changes in nutrition. But stress and burnout can look different in female athletes on an emotional and physiological level.

Internal pressure and perfectionism

Girls are often more self-critical and more likely to have perfectionist tendencies. Whether this is cultural, from social media or from adults around the athlete, girls tend to push through pain or exhaustion to avoid disappointing others, Babcook says. Praising effort and resilience over perfection can help improve self-doubt.

"Don't compare yourself to others because you truly have what you need inside of you. And that is enough, no matter what people tell you. As long as you work hard and use what you have inside, that's enough," Babcook says.

Emotional responses

Female athletes tend to internalize stress, which can lead to anxiety or low mood and can affect more than just sports performance. Burnout can look like emotional withdrawal instead of anger or acting out, and can be seen through poor academic performance or avoiding friends. Creating regular, low-pressure check-ins where feelings are validated and heard can help develop regulation and problem-solving skills.

Injury risk and overtraining

Female athletes often underreport pain or fatigue to avoid looking weak. Burnout can also appear as recurring injuries or stalled recovery.

Normalizing rest days and addressing what may look like a “minor” injury or repeated complaints can help catch problems early and help girls get back to enjoying play.

“I tell my kids all the time, ‘It's OK not to be OK,’” Babcook says. “You're human, you're going to feel things that you've never felt before. And there are people trained to help you through this process and help you build the tools that you need to launch.”

Hormonal and physiological factors

Energy availability, menstrual health, iron levels and stress hormones affect mood and recovery in female athletes. Especially during puberty, girls' bodies are adjusting to changes, and disruptions can be an early warning sign of overload. These factors can cause a potentially dangerous combination of symptoms known as the female athlete triad. You can help by providing proper education about bodily changes, appropriate medical support and encouraging proper nutrition and sleep.

Quiet burnout

Burnout can show up emotionally before it shows up physically, which means performance levels may stay high while motivation and joy significantly drop. Watch for loss of enjoyment and encourage athletes to spend time on other interests, rather than pushing harder to compete.

Team culture, relationships and positive environments for female athletes

Female athletes are more likely to tie their self-worth to relationships they make on the field, whether that’s with teammates, coaches or other peers. The sense of belonging and approval can often be just as important as how “good” they are at their sport. And unfortunately, social media also intensifies comparison and can create pressure to be successful or “perfect.” Building a healthy environment not only keeps girls in sports but also allows young athletes to develop as a whole person.

“There's a lot more research coming out about how European young athletes burnout less frequently than American young athletes,” Babcook says. “There's less stress on performance and outcomes early on, and it's all skill acquisition and team development. Sometimes, the fun part gets missed in America. Go have fun, build relationships, be strong, work hard and be brave.”

Coaches should avoid favoritism or inconsistent feedback in a team setting as these things can quickly erode confidence. It’s important to establish a team that values respect, inclusion and shared responsibility, and that reinforces the idea that every athlete matters. This can prevent clique-like behavior, and girls are more likely to build healthy relationships. To support that, parents should encourage their kids to de-center comparison to others and normalize speaking up if there’s unresolved conflict with a team member or coach. A positive environment can lead to performance improvements, improved confidence and growth that encourages young girls to compete in their sports for longer.

Building confidence, resilience and long-term growth among female athletes

Confidence and resilience are built over time, not through constant pressure or perfection. Through support, realistic expectations and positive experiences, young girls feel safe to make mistakes, learn and are more likely to stay engaged in sports long-term.

“You have an opportunity to build resilience, and you get to learn how to take successes and failures and work through them to still show up next week,” Babcook says. “If we shy away from the things that are uncomfortable all the time, we don’t move forward.”

When athletes can speak up about their injuries, take a rest day and navigate setbacks, they are more likely to take that knowledge into their lives as adults. Long-term athletic development isn’t about pushing harder or specializing earlier, it’s about creating conditions where athletes feel confident enough to continue, resilient enough to adapt and supported enough to see sports as a positive part of their lives now and in the future.